


Call it what you want

by maevesdarling



Category: Succession (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Canon Compliant, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Everyone Has Issues, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff and Angst, Gentleness, It's my rare pair and I get to decide their backstory okay?, Light Angst, M/M, Making Up, Old Married Couple, Panic Attacks, Post-Canon, Post-Season/Series 02, Psychological Trauma, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:07:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27648613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maevesdarling/pseuds/maevesdarling
Summary: (...) Karl's hand hovered over the doorbell, uncertain what to do.Naturally, he had the key to their house in his pocket, but walking in unannounced seemed wrong. (...)An apology is in order, and two people missed each other dearly, despite everything.
Relationships: Jamie Laird/Karl
Comments: 10
Kudos: 13





	Call it what you want

**Author's Note:**

> Did I finally finish my Larl fanfic after taking like two months to write it because of writer's block? Yes I did. 
> 
> This is an established relationship because of course it is. My personal headcanon is that Karl and Laird have been a couple for the past twenty years or so and Logan still hasn't noticed. There's a lot of bets around Waystar if he's ever going to find out and it's stressing Karl out. On top of that, they have a dog. This is solemnly based on an inside joke between me and my sister about how some dogs have human names and how Logan mentioned Karl's wife in Hunting, what if his dog had a human name and Logan doesn't realize it. So yeah, I gave them a pug called Loretta...

He sighed in front of the reddish brown steps leading up to their townhouse, pausing for a moment to adjust the flower bouquet in his hands. He had picked the white tulips personally from the florist and then drove half across the city to get some pastries, which should honestly show his dedication because the traffic was awful and he really needed a good night's sleep after a rough night in the next best hotel, so used to sleeping besides his partner that the sudden absence of him made it hard for Karl to fall asleep, and he kept tossing and turning around, searching for his partners body between the crisp white linens.

Karl's hand hovered over the doorbell, uncertain what to do.

Naturally, he had the key to their house in his pocket, but walking in unannounced seemed wrong.

Maybe he should have called, let his partner know he was coming. But what was he supposed to say? _Sorry for messing up a billion dollar deal by siding with our bosses son, I'll bring some flowers to cheer you up, see you at 5, love you…_

Yeah that wouldn't work and the longer he stood in front of the door the more he realized how stupid he looked if he didn't move.

"Fuck." He mumbled as he pressed the doorbell and waited with a racing heart.

Somewhere inside the house, a light went on but apart from that nothing happened.

After spending a bunch of hours in a car, the evening chill was making him shiver. He checked his watch to see how much time had passed. Not even two minutes.

Suddenly the door rustled before it was opened a small bit, the door chain still in place, and his partners face appeared in front of him. He had expected one of their housekeepers to open the door but Laird must have given them the day off. He had been expecting him then. _Shit, that couldn't be a good sign, right?_

"Well, well, well look who it is…" Laird said with an unreadable expression on his face. "What? Is the grand vacation over already?"

"Jamie-" He started but was cut off.

"For god's sake, get inside, who knows if someone's lurking around, can't have anyone see us like this."

Karl moved as soon as the door opened wide, slipping through the door into their home.

He awkwardly stood there, in his own home, not knowing what to do with himself.

"Uhm, I got you some flowers…" He handed them over with slightly shaking hands, almost dropping them in the process. "And some pastries."

Jamie didn't even had to look into the bag to see that they contained pastries from his favorite bakery. Which would have been nice, since they hadn't had the time to go for a visit in some time, if he wasn't trying to be angry at his partner right now.

"I'll put these into the kitchen… Come see me when you're ready." He said without looking up. He couldn't bring himself to see the sad expression on his partners face. He had every reason to be angry with him. How dare he try to apologise with flowers and sweets after fucking him over with the deal after risking their literal lives?

He sat the flowers down on the counter and braced himself against the dark marble, waiting.

Meanwhile Karl had shuffled out of his coat and made his way towards the bedroom to get changed. He had barely opened the door before being jumped by a ball of cream colored fur.

"Hello Loretta, did you miss me, huh?" He kneeled down to scratch the ecstatic dog behind it's ears. "Yes you missed me didn't you? I missed you too, puppy." The pug wriggled around on his lap, snorting in happiness.

"You gonna let me get up now so that I can get changed?" He asked the dog, who, of course, continued snorting and wouldn't move. Sighing he gently nudged the dog off his lap and got off the hardwood floor to get out of the suit he had been wearing since landing in New York roughly 20 hours ago.

After he finished redressing he spend a few seconds by the door, listening for any noises to try and find out where exactly his partner was.

"Wish me luck, Loretta, I think I really messed up this time." He mumbled as he opened the door and walked aimlessly around the house, the dog hot on his heels.

The lights in the kitchen were on and upon entering he saw Jamie leaning against the counter, looking just as tired as Karl felt.

"So…" He started awkwardly. "You wanna talk?"

"I don't know Karl… Do you want to talk to me about something?" Fuck, he hated how cold Jamie could get when he was angry at him.

"Listen, Jamie… I'm sorry. I'm more than sorry... But I was trying to save both of us, don't you understand?"

"Oh please, by throwing me under the bus?"

"You didn't stay! You didn't see what Logan was like on the boat. He's lost his mind! He made Kendall the blood sacrifice for something he didn't do and you know damn well that that could have been me! Between the two of us, I'm the one who's career was on the line here!"

"Ten Billion, Karl, they could have taken us private, and none of that would have mattered. Do you honestly think Waystar is going to survive much longer? We're a laughing joke, everyone's talking about how fucked we are!"

They had unconsciously taken a few steps towards each other and were now merely inches apart. This close, Karl could smell Jamie's expensive aftershave, the smell normally comforting, was making it hard to concentrate.

"I-" He started but his mind was absolutely blank. It felt like everything that had happened in the past few weeks suddenly hit him, the boat, being taken as a hostage, Hungary, his voice was shaking when he finally found the right words to continue. "I just didn't wanted to be humiliated again. I- I didn't wanted to crawl in front of Logan like a fucking dog again or get yelled at. I was so… exhausted, I thought siding with Roman would be easier. He never listens to him anyway! Who would have known he'd take him seriously?"

His heart was beating so loud he was convinced Jamie could hear it. Everything seemed too much, the brightness inside the kitchen, the temperature, _fuck he was having a panic attack_ and Jamie still hadn't said anything.

The question went unanswered because instead of replying, Jamie decided to pull him into a tight hug, pressing their foreheads against each other.

"Hey, calm down. It's okay. Deep breaths." One of Jamie's hands started rubbing his back methodically until he could feel his partners breath evening out again. "I've got you."

And just like that, their argument was over. Whatever Jamie had wanted to say, it could wait for another time.

"Let's go lie down, I think we both could do with a good night's sleep."

Together, they made their way into the bedroom, Jamie's hands never leaving Karl's back.

Once inside the bedroom, they made quick work with their clothes, they helped each other to undress and god in any other situation they probably would have ended up having some sweet make up sex but right now they were both too tired for anything besides slipping underneath the covers of their bed, bodies tangled in each other.

"I missed you… and I'm so fucking sorry-"

"Shh, I know. Get some sleep. We'll work this out in the morning." Laird said, pressing kisses against the other man's temple and into his fair hair.

He waited until he was sure Karl was asleep, before carefully untangling himself from their embrace to pick the dog up from the ground and put her on the bed, where she quickly nestled herself in between the two of them.

"Spoiled brat."

Laird mumbled as he tried to maneuver himself around the dog.

Soon the room was silent apart from the pugs loud snoring.


End file.
